Rocca di Montegrossi

Rocca di Montegrossi is located in Monti in the municipality of Gaiole in Chianti near the Romanesque church of San Marcellino.

The estate includes about 100 hectares; 20 of which are vineyards, another 20 are olive groves, and the rest is woodland. The vineyards are on rolling hills facing south-east with calcareous clay soils, at altitudes between 340 and 510 meters above sea level. The main grape variety is Sangiovese (13 hectares), followed by Merlot (2.5 hectares), while the remaining 4.5 hectares are planted with Canaiolo, Colorino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pugnitello and Malvasia Bianca del Chianti.

The name Ricasoli is inextricably linked not only to the history of Chianti, but also to the history of Tuscany. Jeremiah, the founder of the Ricasoli-Firidolfi family, founded a castle (or Rocca) in Montegrossi in the 7th century AD. In 1141, the Castello di Brolio passed into family ownership and the Ricasolis entered the world of wine. It was here that the “iron baron” Bettino Ricasoli created the “recipe” for Chianti in 1872.

Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi, direct descendant of Barone di Ferro, produces one of the best Chianti Classicos on the market.

Quality is always fundamental, but respect for the environment and the conservation of natural resources were also of crucial importance for Rocca di Montegrossi. In 2006, the laborious process of converting to organic viticulture began, which was completed in 2010. Marco uses solar panels to obtain part of the energy needed for his cellar, while the rest comes exclusively from certified renewable sources.